Giving Room to Breathe
by Min Daae
Summary: Mai/Zuko. Zuko's concerned that something's not happening even though they've made up. There is snuggling, amused Mai, and a sheet on fire.


The first time he and Mai had fallen into bed together had been almost an accident. They'd just been – kissing, and neither of them had quite realized how far it had gotten until Zuko was on his back on the floor with his hands inside Mai's robe and Mai was straddling him with her legs bare and _her _hand shoved down Zuko's pants.

At that point they'd dragged each other to their feet, laughing, hurried to the bedroom, and proceeded to frantically and messily make love on top of the sheets. Mostly it was memorable because a) it was the first time and b) Zuko had held his breath until he'd let it out explosively in climax and set the bed-curtains on fire.

Only a few days after that, Zuko was gone and Mai was furious.

"The best thing about being the Fire Lord's girlfriend-"

"Fiancée," Zuko corrected her.

"Whatever – is that I'm never cold." Mai looked up at him from where her head was resting snugly on his chest. "It's like sleeping with a very cuddly oven."

"Thanks," Zuko said, not quite acidly. "I'm glad I remind you of an oven."

"Mm, don't complain," she said, and closed her eyes.

Zuko frowned. Mai said they were fine, that she wasn't angry at him, and she'd agreed cheerfully enough (relatively speaking) to the engagement, but they still hadn't – well. They'd kissed – very passionately, a few times – and she certainly seemed to appreciate sharing a bed, but nonetheless every night both of them stayed fully clothed.

It was beginning to become frustrating, in more ways than one.

"Mai?" He said abruptly, and she cracked her eyes open.

"Zuko?"

He hesitated, looked away, and cleared his throat. "Are you sure you're not angry with me at all, still?"

"Zuko," she said, sounding pained, "I'm not. Why are you asking?"

"Because I was just thinking that we – haven't. You know."

Her eyebrows rose. "No, I don't know." She paused. "Are you blushing?"

"No," he denied hotly, though he could feel his face warning. "We haven't – since I tried to dump you, we haven't-" Zuko witnessed the light of comprehension dawn in Mai's eyes with enormous relief. She sat up.

"Are you trying to say that you think I'm angry at you because we haven't had _sex_ since getting back together?" There was a strange, tight note in her voice, and Zuko cringed. "Even though I've been sharing a bed with you, snogging the air out of you, and making sure you don't completely humiliate yourself in front of your entire nation?"

Zuko attempted to stammer an excuse, and then Mai burst out laughing.

He felt his face heat even more, a feat which he hadn't believed possible, and pushed her away to hold her at arm's length. "What's so funny?" He demanded indignantly. "I don't see what's-"

"Zuko," she said, still sounding pained, "Sometimes you're so oblivious it almost _hurts,_" and at that added insult to injury, Zuko gave up on restraint and pulled her firmly into a viciously passionate kiss. She'd see what laughing at _him _got-

Her fingers threaded into his hair and dragged his head – and body following – down to the mattress, where she unlocked her lips from his just long enough to say, "I was sharing a bed with you for a reason, stupid."

Her fingers were tight in his hair, almost painful. Zuko realized her lips were parted and thrust his tongue between them only to find hers waiting, teasing along his. She seemed better at this than he remembered. He pulled back, suddenly indignant.

"Were you practicing?" He accused.

"Only the past few weeks," she snorted, and pulled him back into kissing, fortunately before Zuko could start feeling too foolish. Then Mai's hand wormed between them and under his pants and he completely forgot about it.

"This familiar?" She breathed as Zuko gasped, the deft and almost absent brush of her fingers stealing the air from his lungs. Zuko's hips pushed involuntarily down into her hand as he moaned. Her hand slipped further down, the next brush of her fingers far more deliberate.

He pulled his mouth away from hers and pulled her sleeping robe apart, her skin seeming flawless white as he slid his hand under the fabric and clasped one of her breasts. The pink nipple crowning it had already hardened, and on a sudden impulse he lowered his mouth and locked his lips around it, suckled awkwardly. He felt her body shudder underneath him and her mouth lock on his shoulder as the hand down his pants curled with intent around hardening flesh. Zuko moaned at the back of his throat and translated it to renewed suckling at the little nub of flesh that seemed to make Mai's body quiver.

Her mouth pulled away from his shoulder with almost a sucking sound, and the skin felt like there was going to be a mark. He didn't care. Mai's free hand was unknotting the tie around her waist, and as the rest of her robe fell away she seized his wrist and brought Zuko's hand down between her legs.

He hadn't touched her there before, and he was surprised by the silkiness of her skin – and, as she deliberately pressed his fingers deeper, the moisture from her body.

Zuko was gratified to hear her gasp, and she murmured "yes, _there,_" with so much vehemence that he felt heat flood through his own body, making him even harder against Mai's rubbing fingers.

"Let me," he said, voice strangled, and he looked up to see Mai's head thrown back, her throat extended.

"You don't have to _ask,_" she said, her voice breathless with the same feeling of urgency as Zuko felt, and he pulled both hands away to shove his loose silk pants over his hips. Her hands wrapped over his shoulders and he felt her nails dig into his skin. "Remember to breathe," she said, and smirked. "Don't set the bed on fire again."

He flushed violent red, positioning himself between her legs. "I did not-"

"Shut up," Mai said, hands moving back into Zuko's hair to drag his head down, her legs locking around his back and pulling his hips forward and into her body.

The way she gasped, Zuko thought, was infinitely satisfying. Or would have been, if he hadn't been busy contemplating how glorious it felt to be here again.

Her fingers in his hair tugged slightly, like a reminder, and his hips pulsed briefly downward. Mai whined, a thin sound emanating from her mouth into his, and Zuko was dimly aware of making a low noise in his own throat, almost in response.

He began to move in earnest, thrusting awkwardly but passionately, hips rocking back and forth to the time of his heartbeat roaring in his ears. He could hear himself panting, and Mai's hands had slipped out of his hair, clutching at his shoulders, his arms-

The moment broke, shattered, into white and empty bliss.

When Zuko's head came back, he found an extremely flushed Mai beating out the last of a small fire where his right hand had clenched on the blanket. "Don't you have any _control _over that?" She asked, sounding a little peeved.

He summoned a sheepish smile. "Not exactly." Zuko looked at her, and furrowed his brows. "Are you all right?"

"You gave up too fast," she said, a little breathlessly. "I wasn't done." She punched his arm. "Selfish Fire Lord."

Zuko frowned a bit more, displeased, and then couldn't help a grin. "Not that selfish. I can help with that."

"I bet you-"

He rolled over and pulled Mai with him, ending up on his back with Mai straddling his legs. Zuko looked up at her and couldn't help licking his lips with a touch of deliberate lasciviousness. "Let's try that again," he said, lowering his voice. "But slower."

This time, he pulled her down, fingers in her black hair, and kissed her. A moment later, she pulled away, just a little. "Guess what?" Her expression was deadly serious.

Zuko frowned. "What?"

She leaned down, her tongue flicking out to brush against his lips. "I'm still not cold," she murmured conspiratorially, and laughed, ever so quietly.

And Zuko knew that they were just fine now, with all the time in the world.


End file.
